He Wasn’t The Best, But He Was The Best I Ever Had

We were back in northeast Alabama and visited the Key Underwood Coon Dog Cemetery for the first time in a few years. There were some older monuments I didn’t remember from last time, and some new ones — there were something around 185 there in 2005; more than 300 coonhounds here now. You can’t just bury any hound there, it has to be a real coonhound that’s been vouched for (meaning not that someone recognized it on your front porch, but rather than it would tree), and someone from the cemetery association even has to view the dog. Also: if someone were to think they could go out in the middle of the night and bury their dog there without going through the process, well, it would be…um, undone. They’ve actually had to do that.

It looks so much better with the new (since 2009, I think) custodian’s oversight:

This one says:If he treed in a mail box, you’d better open it up and look because he’s got ’em

Hunting partner and best friend…:

Easy Going Sam…Last One on the Wood:

Key’s dog, Troop:

And this one, my favorite. TrackHe wasn’t the best, but he was the best I ever had